Service connection generally means that a chronic disability arose coincidental with military service. It is important to establish that your injury or illness is service-connected to qualify for disability compensation. The following categories identify service-connected disability:

Direct – The onset of disability is directly related to military service. Example: Complications from a gunshot wound to the left thigh.

Secondary – A current disability caused by or aggravated by another service-connected disability. Example: Right knee problems from compensating for an altered gait because of the left-thigh gunshot wound.

Aggravated – A chronic disability diagnosed prior to military service is aggravated beyond normal progression during military service. Example: A right-knee disability from high school football was aggravated by a parachute jump.

Presumptive – A chronic disability that is related to some exposure during military service. Example: Diabetes mellitus type II related to exposure to the Agent Orange herbicide used during the Vietnam War.

Paired Organ – A veteran has loss of use of one extremity or organ (i.e. kidney) due to service- connected disability and later develops loss of use of the other extremity organ.

VA Medical Negligence – A disability that occurred while a veteran was undergoing VA health care.

Injury Resulting from VA Vocational Training – Injury that occurred while pursuing a vocational training plan with the VA.

Wartime Service-Connected Disabilities

There are service-connected disabilities that relate to specific war periods.World War II: Exposure to radiation was common due to the extensive experimentation and nuclear testing of the Atomic Bomb. Diseases such as Leukemia, Lymphomas, Multiple Myeloma and Cancers could later manifest in veterans who were exposed to radiation at that time.

Korean War: Veterans who fought in the Korean War may have experienced cold-weather injuries and, later on, residual effects of frostbite.

Vietnam: Exposure to Agent Orange, the herbicide used to kill off dense plant life caused multiple conditions in veterans of that war. Twelve specific illnesses have been identified as service-connected disabilities.

Persian Gulf War and OEF/OIF: Veterans have experienced chronic disabilities resulting from undiagnosed or unexplained chronic multi-symptom illnesses such as joint pain, fatigue, mental problems and headaches of unknown etiology.

Compensation is Based on Degree of Disability

Your compensation is based on a rating system that determines the extent, or degree, of disability.

The range of disability starts at 0 percent up to 100 percent disabled.

Each disability found to be service-connected is assigned a percentage rating based on its specific level of impairment.

If there is more than one disability, the percentages are combined to determine the total rating.

The amount of compensation is based on this combined rating percentage and is adjusted annually.

Here is an example of the monthly benefits a veteran with no dependents may receive based on level of disability (source: 2009 VA Compensation Pay Chart):

10% = $123 60% =$974

20% = $243 70% = $1,228

30% = $376 80% = $1,427

40% =$541 90% = $1,604

50% = $770 100% = $2,673

You can get 100% Veterans Disability under TDIU even if your service connected disabilities do not add up to 100%. You have to Apply for a TDIU Benefits and would benefit from a TDIU Evaluation.